The Opelousas courier., 1887-10-08

to appoint a nunlbef OF delegates, nOb NOR
than three from a State, for each State repre-
scented on the floor of this convention, name
ly, Louisiana, Mississippi and Arkansas, alg'
from the Ststes of Tennessee and Missouri
and for other States which may desire to- en-
ter with those named in the attainment O
the object in view, said committee to pro
coed to Washington on or about JAM mex
for the purpose of aiding and expeditlng thu
passage OF any ne@IH:tfres which may be be
fore Congress, looking to the Improvement
of the Mississippi river Navigation, protec
ton of it's alluvial lands, or the development
of It's material interests; and It shall be tht
duty of said executive committee to raise an
provide funds to defray the expenses Of th,
delegates to and from Washington and while
there.
'.Reso1yed, That when this convention ad
iouTns it shall be to meet in Washington, D.
G., Jan. Is next, and that the chairman b.
instructed to correspond with the Governor
of the States here represented, requesting
them to ask the Governors OF other State
interested in Mississippi river improvement
TO appoint twenty delegates each to attend
the meeting of the convention there, in ordel
to taxi part in the deliberations, and to ait
in inducing adequate legislation for sale
river Improvement; provided, the committee
appointed by the convention may change thu
date of meeting at Washington at their dis
crStion."
The committees provided for in the resolu
tons were duly appointed and entered upon
the performance OF their duties with the best
results. The Washington convention power
fully assisted them in their work, and ere,
ated so strong, a sentiment in favor of the
OBJECTS OF both convention and committees
that the necessary appropriations were forth
coming and the River Commission saw it,
say clear to assist in confirming the river with,
III Its banks.
Ihus, to
GOV. M'ENERY's INITIATIVE
is Louisiana largely indebted, not only for
the interest manifested in levee matters in
the State Itself, but Sr Federal assistance in
the work OF m~aintainingsand rebuilding
them.
Of the work itself Gov. McEnery reported
as 1oioWs to the Legislature (Message, May
Since the report made to the General AS
sembly IN April, 1882, 100 contracts for
the construction of levees have been made,
and nearly all OF them nave been faithfully
executed, The wo0k lone under these con-
tracts and the unfinished work under prior
contracts not completed in April, 1882,
Isamounts to nearly 1870 miles Of ievee, re-
qniring 3, 900, 636cubic yardsof earthwork.
same period expended for preventing or
closing cfeyasses S35, 500, making an aggre-
gate cost of levee work for the period of
1923. 40.
The United States Mississippi River Com
mission, in August, 1882, allotted SIS, 900
TO close gaps IN Ievees between the mouths of
Red river and Cypress creek, and $40, 900
to close gaps in Pointe Coupee, all for levees
NASNSN SC's ~oo5 NIlAS4 O. "a
pended for ievee work in ArkaIlsas. The
Sum Of SIS. 600 waslikewise allotted toward
building the Bonnet Care ,ievee, and other
altottmenfs we're made for the protection of
ieyees during the late flood. =
The leTee..work in Louisiana by the United
STATES commission nearly equals that done
by the State. being mainly above the mouth
OF Red river, and it has cost the United
states government 1899, 3S1.
The riparian parishes expended on leyees
since 1881 large sums, reports from ten par
i 3 alone showing SILL 8 Of local and
companies alone expended 500, $50. Thus
the total amount expended on levees In Lou
isiana has been 81, 04s, 600 since 1881"
notwithstanding the fact that in 1883
to another overflow, owinrD the fact that
many of the levees that went down before
the food OF the proceeding year had not been
rebuilt, or were NOS sufficiently hardened to
WAS fully justified by the facts in adding:
In the beginning of March, 1884, the
levees OF Louisiana were in better condition
than they have been AT n previous time for
more than twenty years" With such energy
had
THE WORK OF REBUILDING THE LEyEEs
and repsiring the waste created by the waters
been prosecuted in the meantime, and SO
energeucAlly and Systematically has the work
OF levees strengthening and building been
continued that the floods since l8S lave
been successfully resisted trars local ere
vases excepted. and the people of the ripa-
RAN parishes have been able to SOW and reap
b.eHind the dlkes erected for their protec-
stand the pressure Of the waters. Lands
abandoned for @ quarter of q century have
again been brought into cultivation, values
IN the riparian parishes have increased, and
prosperity Is again within reach of the dwell
ers By the banks of the rivers.
30 energefically, IN fact, was the work of
rebuilding and repairing continued that Gov.
McEnery was enabled to report in his last
message to the General Assembly, May 10,
1885, as follows:
THE levee work undertaken and finished
your last session and the report of The
state engineer mounts to fiftS-seven miles |
OF new .leyees II the raising and enlarge
of sixteen miles of old ,Ievees. The |
amount of earthwork constructed amounts
2,545, SIS cubic yards at a cost of $685.
405 so.
1884, under section Is of Act No. So Of
1850, by Executive orders to COMPLETE pay |
for the Bonnet Care and the Opossum |
ievees, and under Act No. SO Of 1884
resolutions OF Tensas Basin District have
amounted to 500, csc 81.
During the last tive years there have
9een put up 3, Q egg cubic Yards of earth
Includes the Completing of works preTicusiy
made, bnt not finished at the date of the last
report OF the Board of State Engineers.
Special taxes have been voted by some OF
Mississippi river parishes for the repair
Ind preservation of leyees, aud above the
OF Red river large and important
eYees have been constructed. Individuals
aye aldedS private subscriptions, and the
'ailroads have also assisted. BY these efforts
# parishes, citizens and railroad corpora
140, miles Of levees which were below
he level of extreme floods haze been
strengthened and raised from one to three
eet above the highest water mark. In this
york the Board Of Engineers have made sur
,eys, specifications, and CALCULATIONS as to
Iuantlty and cost Of work and other details.n
AS q result of this
VIGOROUS AND UNRE1fIrrINa WORE
pom the leyees, Gov. McEnery was able to
1s:pose OF the subject of leTees for the time
It. is gratifying to be able TO saw TO Won
nd the people OF. our State that cur levees
re undoubtedly higher. stronger and better
they nave been at any time within the
and prospect as compared with that of
years ago affords good reason for sstis-
action and encouragement"
Gov. MeEnery failed to add, as he cout1
ave done, that The State had been free from
veriow n its attendant disasters during
ae years 1885 and 1886, and thanks to the
+ork OF the IeTee Governor, it can be added
ne have enjoyed similar immunity in
The following table, made up from official
onfces, gives
COMPARATIVE RESULTS
i the leyee work during the administrations
Goys; Nichols, Witt and McEnery. It
lould be remembered that State ~taxation
" levee purposes was limited by the Consti-
itlen to II mill, while parish taxation for
10 same purpose is limited to five mills. The
cures furnish g most thorough, practical
nonstfet1on OF the reason why Gov. Nc {
Administration of Gov. Nichols. Nav II. 1s7z ,
Jan. Il, 1886 !
lblc yards of earthwork. Q Aos oso !
lumber of cubic yards built per year. saI gHS
expended on levees per year. $500. $fel4i ss
2 ~ : = : III " yafo 20 1876 I
ct. 16, 1851 II LOU 70 :
abic yards of earthwork s5o aaH
snaoaoS SI ~ gaIas pullt Fer year., S9l G2g '
IA neT cnI nh as ss per Jesf...le...- S210,a32 So I
administration Of Got. McEnerY Oct. IL. 1aSg. IL IL